Mio Amore
by Amy L. M
Summary: Feliciano is scared to admit his true feelings to Ludwig for the fear of being rejected. He decides to tell him over dinner but in a slightly unusual way, one where paper and ink shall be used before words.


**Human names are used.**

******************Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia in any way, all rights to Hidekaz Himaruya.**

* * *

"Perfetto!"

Feliciano smiled brightly, stepping away from the dining table and admiring his work. The plates were set along with the necessary silverware and he had folded the napkins into simple triangular shapes. A candelabra sat in the centre of the table, the orange flames dancing and flickering. Everything was in place and hopefully the meal he had planned with Ludwig would go smoothly. It obviously wasn't the first time that he was having dinner with the German but it would definitely be the first time that he spoke of his true feelings. Quite frankly, he was terrified. What if Ludwig didn't feel the same way?

_No, now isn't the time to think like that. _

The Italian dispelled those type of thoughts from his mind and nodded his head in approval, hurrying back towards the kitchen after hearing the timer on the oven ring loudly. He grabbed the oven gloves and pulled out the tray of freshly made garlic bread, humming at the delicious scent. Feliciano set the tray down on the counter and removed the gloves, moving the garlic bread onto a plate. He then added an array of bread sticks and brought the plate out to the dining room, carefully setting it down before returning to bring out the large bowl of spaghetti carbonara.

Once all of the food was set and the best bottle of wine he had retrieved from the cellar was on ice, Feliciano untied the apron from around his thin waist and hung it up, washing his hands before he tidied himself.

Fortunately, he hadn't gotten any trace of flour or sauce onto his clothing and he looked very presentable if he did say so himself. It was an important meal, one that would most likely decide his future with Ludwig. Not as countries, but as people. He wanted (more than anything) than to be with Ludwig as his lover and not just a close friend. It had taken years but he had finally realized his true feelings and it was time to act upon them, instead of burying them away out of fear. Being pulled from his thoughts by the shrill sound of the doorbell, Feliciano frantically checked that everything was still in place and hurried towards the front door, casting a quick glance at the clock in the hallway.

Ludwig was exactly on time.

Smiling, the Italian opened the locks and threw the door open, jumping into the strong arms of the German as he always did whenever he saw him. Ludwig caught him easily and returned the embrace, gently patting his head and greeting him.

"Hallo, Italy." Ludwig said softly.

"I told you to call me Feliciano!" The Italian whined, stepping back.

Ludwig sighed lightly, following the smaller man inside the house, closing the door behind himself. "Fine, fine. Feliciano."

"Grazie. I'm really glad you were able to come over!"

Feliciano brought Ludwig to the dining room where they sat down at the table once Ludwig had removed his coat.

"Ja, the meeting with my boss ended earlier than expected."

Feliciano simply nodded his head, showing that he was indeed listening while he opened the bottle of red wine and poured a generous amount into each of their glasses. He carefully set the bottle down and then served out equal portions of the spaghetti carbonara that he had spent hours working on to perfection. Ludwig smiled gratefully, waiting until Feliciano was once again seated before they began eating, settling into conversation, the atmosphere relaxed and comfortable.

Halfway through their meal, Feliciano suddenly remembered the real reason as to why he had planned it and he nervously glanced across at Ludwig, wondering if the German had noticed anything yet. Earlier, before Ludwig had even arrived, Feliciano had slipped a note onto the bottom of his plate. It was well hidden beneath the spaghetti now but hopefully he would find it and not choke on the paper first. He had also hidden another note inside the folded napkin. Breathing deeply to calm his nerves, Feliciano twirled his fork among the spaghetti and chewed slowly and thoughtfully. If this didn't work or didn't turn out the way he had hoped..._no, stay positive. _

"Feliciano?" Ludwig murmured.

Startled, the Italian lifted his head and immediately froze, amber eyes widening. "Uhm..."

"Why is there a piece of paper in the spaghetti?" Ludwig asked, the confusion evident in his deeply accented voice.

"Read it." Feliciano mumbled, feeling his face burning with a blush.

He watched quietly as the blonde carefully peeled open the folded note, grimacing at the sauce staining the paper here and there. Ludwig instantly recognised the familiar scrawl of Feliciano's handwriting. His blue eyes focused on the words, narrowing for a second and then widening ever so slightly.

_**I have a secret that I want to tell you but I'm scared. I don't know how you'll react and I don't want to ruin our friendship. I can't lose you...but I need to tell you the truth. **_

Curiously, Ludwig inconspicuously glanced around the table, searching for any sign of another note. It seemed as though Feliciano wasn't going to come out and tell him what the secret was with a straightforward and honest answer. He was unusually quiet, staring across at the napkin beside the glass of red wine. Following his gaze, Ludwig noticed something sticking out from between the folded napkin and he slowly reached for it, hearing it crinkle in the silence of the room. Upon opening it and reading the black ink, he felt his heart stutter and pound furiously inside his chest, a blush burning across his face.

_**Ludwig...ti amo. Ich liebe dich. I love you. **_

A deafening silence fell upon them, uncomfortable and seemingly endless. One man was going through inner turmoil while the other was overjoyed. Ludwig couldn't even begin to describe how relieved and joyous he felt at that moment, knowing that his feelings were returned. He could now act on those feelings without worrying about risking the close bond he held with Feliciano.

"Uhm...Feliciano...I-" Ludwig began.

"I'm sorry! You don't feel the same and I just ruined everything! Oh Dio...I'm such an idiot! Why would you ever feel the same way?! I'm weak and useless and...I...I'm sorry!" Feliciano cried, tears welling in his eyes and his breath catching in his throat almost painfully.

The sudden outburst startled the German enough that he jumped but as the words registered in his mind, he quickly rose to his feet, the chair skidding back across the wooden floorboards, made his way over to the now sobbing Italian and pulled him into his arms. Feliciano stilled, breath catching in his throat as Ludwig gently rubbed circles into his back with one hand and with the other, he soothingly ran through his hair. The tears trailed down his cheeks in thin silvery rivulets, soon stopping and drying on his tanned skin. Feliciano reached out and wrapped his own arms around Ludwig, clinging to him and breathing in his scent, allowing it to envelope him completely.

"Ich liebe dich, Feli." Ludwig whispered, pressing a soft kiss to his temple.

"You...r-really?" He mumbled, hoping and praying that it was the truth.

"Yes, really. I've loved you for a very long time...I was scared to tell you."

Feliciano laughed lightly, a tidal wave of relief washing over him. Ludwig loved him. That was all that really mattered then, nothing else was of importance to him in that moment. He pulled away enough so that his eyes locked with those of the German, _his _German. They smiled shyly at one another, slowly leaning in and closing the gap. When they were close enough that their breaths mingled, Ludwig reached up and cupped Feliciano's face in his large hands, his blush spreading across his cheeks and nose.

Not one for patience (and he had wanted this for _so_ long and it was finally happening so why not speed things up a little?), Feliciano placed his hands on Ludwig's shoulders and leaned forward, pressing their lips together. A small sound of surprise left Ludwig but nonetheless, he returned the kiss with just as much passion and fervency and love. Lips caressed and molded over and over, while tongues intertwined in a passionate dance, all warm lips and damp breaths and soft sighs. Eventually, the burning need for air became too much and they parted, panting lightly, faces flushed. Feliciano smiled, eyes wide and bright. Ludwig returned the smile, placing another gentle kiss to plump lips.

"Mio amore." Feliciano said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Meine liebe, immer." Ludwig whispered, a small smile on his face.

They leaned in and kissed again, savouring each one, engraving the moment into their mind. Neither wanted to forget this. After a moment, Ludwig pulled away and reached over the table to pluck the note up between his fingers. He gazed down at it and chuckled, lightly flicking Feliciano on the nose with the paper.

"Are there any more of these hidden somewhere that I should know about?"

Blushing, the Italian buried his face into the crook of Ludwig's neck. "There's no more...and that was the best idea I came up with to tell you how I felt!"

"Hmm...alright then. I just don't want to choke on paper while eating. Come on, we should finish dinner and then decide on what to do for the rest of the evening." Ludwig suggested, returning to his seat across from Feliciano who nodded his head in agreement.

Once they had finished their meal, they both washed the dishes and put everything away into its rightful place, Ludwig insisting that they clean the kitchen too but with no objections from Feliciano as it simply meant more time with his lover. Afterwards, they spent the night watching movies, curled up together on the couch, still both blushing uncontrollably and they may have stolen some kisses here and there. They eventually fell asleep in one another's arms, a blanket strewn across their bodies, dreaming about the endless possibilities ahead of them as lovers.

* * *

**_The End._  
**


End file.
